The Kingdom of the Golden Plains
Created by /u/messwithcrabo The Kingdom of the Golden Plains is a non-hereditary monarchy laying claim to the desert of the western continent of Malador, Duncruda - the name means 'little greenery'. The Kingdom is inhabited by Vlijcor, a manticore-like species, and their slave race, the Yišmaẖ, often referred to by their colonial name Capreit. Geography The lands of the Vlijcor are arid desert, mostly devoid of vegetation but for small bushes and shrubs. More vegetation, including trees, are found in oases and around the river. The climate is hot and dry throughout the year with little precipitation, however temperatures drop to very cold at night. Temporary lakes form where water settles in low-lying areas or basins, leaving valuable minerals where they evaporate. Elementals One must tread carefully on the eastern side of the river. Elementals dwell outside the eastern borders of the Kingdom and occasionally wander into them (for elementals care not for silly arbitrary borders). Three of the classical elements have been found as elementals in this area. They are often small, but a large variety can be seen uncommonly. Small elementals may also combine into large ones on occasion. Fire Most often, fire elementals are seen in the form of a line of flames that hop in arcs along the sands. They seem to be generally harmless, and provide a welcome source of light and heat while the sun is setting, but seem to disappear entirely at nightfall. Large fire elementals take the form of a large wheel of fire that rolls along, about two metres high and half a metre wide. In this form they are quite dangerous, as they are very fast and can cause injury from heat and collision. They are, however, worth the risk to some, as its movement causes minor glassification of the sands it rolls over, and large fire elementals persist through night, providing light and heat to those lost in the desert. Wind The most common elementals to be seen in the area, small wind elementals are essentially living dust devils. Their movement is erratic and they produce a small wind that can knock things over, kick up dust, or otherwise be an inconvenience. Large wind elementals are essentially large versions of the same, however they are more comparable to sandstorms. Earth Earth elementals are a group of small rocks that can combine into a little, vaguely humanoid shape. They can be broken up into their constituent rocks, in which case they will roll around and try to recombine with each other. Large earth elementals are a swirling mass of sand in the shape of the top half of a humanoid, with main parts (face, heart, fingers) made of rock. They rake the land with their hands and can appear from underground, creating sinkholes and sand collapses. It is possible, on especially rare occasions, for large elementals of two elements to combine. This is a legendarily disastrous occurrence. Combined fire and wind elementals are a flaming maelstrom of wind. Wind and earth elementals also contain large rocks which are hurled out in random directions. A fire and earth elemental has never been seen...but whatever it is, it would be terrible to behold. Biology Vlijcor are winged bipeds that generally resemble manticores. They are mostly lion-like in appearance, with large horns and scales running down their backs, between their draconic wings, and down to their legs, which similarly end in reptilian talons. They also have a scaled tail, ending in an array of venomous spines. They are fairly stocky and muscular in build, and slightly taller than a tall human - standing around 180-190cm on average when upright. They are capable of flight using their wings, and have rather long, sharp claws which can retract when not required. As with mundane lions, the males (vircor) typically have long manes around the perimeter of their faces, which can also spread to the neck and upper back area. The colour of the mane is variable depending on a number of factors, including age, testosterone levels, general health, exposure to stress or traumatic experiences, ranging from a light sandy colour to a dark brown or black. A darker mane generally represents a male is in good health, but as it affects heat distribution, is not always considered good to have for individuals who are often outside. Due to genetic differences, or personal styling preference, however, some males may have a very short mane or none at all. Likewise, while females (vriecor) typically do not grow full manes, some individuals may grow single braids, short tufts, or a strip of mane along the top of their heads. Vlijcor give birth to live young, as with most mammals, and birth litters of one to four cubs - typically two or three. They are not fertile year-round and are polyoestrous, being fertile for week-long periods a few times a year. The majority of vriecor in a group are known to sync their oestrous cycles on occasion, under conditions where populations are dangerously low and conditions cause stress hormone reactions, though in normal conditions it’s still common for as few as two or three individuals to go into heat around the same time. In these cases, those who are nurturing infants around the same time will take care of all the children of the same age in their group, including suckling. Though regardless of other circumstances, a female will not become fertile again until her young reach independent age, provided most of them survive childhood. Vlijcor live on an almost entirely carnivorous diet and require several kilogrammes of food each day, though this figure is reduced somewhat for those who live a mostly sedentary life. Their caloric needs are met through daily hunting, often flying far distances to hunt wild game and bring the meat back to town; as well as livestock rearing and tribute from their far smaller goat slaves. Vlijcor do not subsist on meat alone, using basically all parts of an animal such as offal, fat, and bones. While they are capable of gorging themselves, obesity is generally to be avoided as it is seen as a marker of greed. Those who are not hunting or otherwise more sedentary will generally fast at least twice a week to prevent from becoming overweight and ensure food supplies remain steady. Finally, they can occasionally ingest non-meats by use of magical dietary supplements, though as these foods are not particularly nutritious, this is generally only done in times of low food or on fast days. While Vlijcor are the dominant species in the kingdom, they also keep slaves captured from outlying villages belonging to a different species who call themselves Yišmaẖ, though are referred to in the Vrijcor language as Capreit. They are essentially goat-folk, with their forelimbs more similar to a tapir’s and thus more capable of grasping and fine movement. History The Kingdom of the Golden Plains (Conincregnum Veraerum Praeiil) amalgamates four previously independent city states: Caemea, Ilriec, Oefa and Schenvol, as well as various chiefdoms in the surrounding territories. Prior to this arrangement and the formation of the city-states, Vrijcor would have lived in small numbers as tribes of nomadic hunter-gatherers. The Vrijcor have traditionally butted heads with the Capreit and have subsumed some of their traditional lands as part of their conquest. This conflict is partially due to a perceived superiority, but is mostly to attain more access to food and labour. Society The role of monarch is primarily a ceremonial and symbolic one, who acts as a military leader and representative for the Vlijcor as a whole, as well as a moderator for disputes between the states. As it is not a hereditary position, anyone who wishes to become monarch must best the current king in combat. The same succession system is true of the various chiefdoms, however the city-states are run by either elected officials or by hereditary family succession. In general, Vlijcor society is non gender-restrictive and both sexes have equal opportunity. It also does not have a stratified social hierarchy - any Vlijcor is able to take a position of leadership regardless of their demographic, except for those in the city-states with hereditary succession. Slaves, however, do not have the opportunity for social movement and will be beholden to whosoever owns them. Even if freed, Capreit are not entitled to attain positions of leadership and are generally discriminated against. Culture Vlijcor believe they were created from the union of the lion god, Leeovon (the Lion-Father, Leeovator) and the dragon goddess, Iatam (the Dragon-Mother, Draecomoeder). Owing to the warm climate and their fur, Vlijcor do not wear much clothing. In general they wear little clothing on the top half of their bodies, their primary garment being a colourful wrap around their waist, which can sometimes be worn around the shoulder, neck or head. Their buildings are made of adobe or stone brick and generally placed close together to reduce the buildup of hot air and sunlight. While, owing to their carnivorous lifestyle, Vrijcor have no need for food-based agriculture, which allows for less space constraints, they do raise livestock. Occurrence of magic Magic seems to present itself differently across the sexes. Generally speaking, males would exhibit more of the Lion-Father’s aspect, excelling more often in fire magic and healing (for life and the soul is said to be represented by a blue flame). Similarly, females generally exhibit more of the Dragon-Mother’s aspect, with more affinity for poison and earth magic. Though, of course, this is not a hard-and-fast rule - it is, while less common, not unheard of for a female to have more innate skill in the masculine magic domains, or vice versa. It is expected that a mage should be proficient in both of either the masculine or feminine domains (if one of them is their specialty), so that they can exhibit magic both destructive and conducive to life, the duality of which is believed to be important to understanding the world and one’s place in it. Of course, there are mages that use other kinds of magic instead of or in addition to these, though they are less common. In general, magic users are expected to use their powers for the betterment of society, whether this be for military use, espionage, medicine, advisory, or general community work. Most mages thus have full-time roles in positions such as advisers, medics, spies, and the like. Portal In the middle of the desert (yellow dot on map), there is a strange area that has baffled passersby for centuries. There is a stack of small stones in a parabola, mounted atop a small stand. The stones are blue-grey, not native to the region. It smells faintly of the ocean, and the bones and shells of sea creatures and other non native animals have been found there. It seems that there is some sort of latent magical force here, though why it is there, nobody knows. Perhaps it leads to another place, but it doesn't seem to be able to be activated in any way at the moment. (The portal connects to Grazh at the faint red dot) Major imports/exports Imports: Meat, offal, bones, some wood. Exports: Hides, rocks, gems, salt, metals, gypsum, sodium nitrate, borax, other minerals, some spices (mahlab, fenugreek, cumin) Post directory Claim Post (4/11/19) The Passing of the Titans (6/11/19) (Lore/Info) The ascension of Schaelar, King of the Golden Plains (15/11/19) (Lore/Story) The death of Schaelar, King of the Golden Plains (21/11/19) (Lore/Story) Death rites of the Vlijcor and Capreit (24/11/19) (Lore/Info) The Tournament For the Throne, I (28/11/19) (Lore/Story) The Many Meats of the Manticores (2/12/19) (Lore/Info) The Tournament For the Throne, II (8/12/19) (Lore/Story) The annexation of the southern hill tribes (12/12/19) (Expansion) Fauna of the Golden Plains (31/12/19) (Ecosystem) The religion of the Capreit (4/1/20) (Pantheon/Religion) The Tournament For the Throne, III (12/1/20) (Lore/Story) The festival of Ḇathet (14/1/20) (Lore/Story) To the Edge of the World? (20/1/20) (Expansion) The Tournament For the Throne, IV (Final) (21/1/20) (Lore/Story) Calendars of the Vlijcor and Yišmaẖ (29/01/20) (Lore/Info) Crime and Punishment on the Golden Plains (04/02/20) (Lore/Info)Category:Malador